美国国家公共电台 NPR--Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify¹' launches with a theme of renaissance²

Transcript³

A century ago, some of America's greatest artists and writers found strength in a community that became known as the Harlem Renaissance — a confluence⁴ of now-familiar names including Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Aaron Douglas.

Today pianist Lara Downes, host of NPR's interview series Amplify, which has just launched its third season, wonders: Are we currently in a new, Harlem-style renaissance?

The Harlem Renaissance, she says, was nothing less than an explosion of creativity and transformation⁵. "It happened because of communal⁶ movement and shift — 300,000 Black Americans moving out of the South in the Great Migration⁷ that brought so many to Harlem and to other cities," she says. "It was a meeting of minds, this energy of shared experience. There's a courage and a confidence of expression that can only happen in community."

Hughes wrote an essay in 1926 that served as a sort of statement of purpose, saying: "We intend to express our individual dark skin cells without fear or shame. We know we are beautiful and ugly, too. We build our temples for tomorrow as strong as we know how."

Since the death of George Floyd and the rise of Black Lives Matter, Downes feels a major shift in the arts world; a strengthened focus on inclusion and recognition of Black artists. She says it's been complicated, conflicted and long overdue⁸.

"For me, as a classical pianist, it's always been the status quo that I'd be aware of other Black artists working in my discipline," she says. "But we were all like these little islands in a sea of whiteness. Now, I feel connected and like I'm part of a cohort. There's so much energy."

Downes points to composer and jazz musician Terence Blanchard, the first Black composer to have his operas presented at New York's Metropolitan⁹ Opera, and to Jessie Montgomery, the composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who was named the Composer of the Year by Musical America.

While it feels like a genuine phenomenon in this moment, there's also been backlash. Books that focus on race are being banned. A new adaptation of The Little Mermaid¹⁰ with a Black leading actress riled some who felt that this modicum¹¹ of diversity diluted¹² the original story, though it's completely fictional¹³. Downes thinks the Harlem Renaissance offers yet another good lesson.

"When you've got this 100 years of history, then you're aware of the cycles of history," she says. "So I don't think that any of us who are working today feel like everything's been fixed¹⁴. I feel like this is a moment. And the action that's being taken, whether it's cynical¹⁵ or not, whether it's lasting¹⁶ or not, what do we do as artists? What agency do we take to grab this moment to create something that can live on? I think it's about the strength of that community as a force for change."

1 amplify   

vt.放大，增强；详述，详加解说

参考例句：

• The new manager wants to amplify the company.新经理想要扩大公司。
• Please amplify your remarks by giving us some examples.请举例详述你的话。

2 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 confluence   

n.汇合，聚集

参考例句：

• They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.他们建造了城市的汇合两条河流。
• The whole DV movements actually was a confluence of several trends.整个当时的DV运动，实际上是几股潮流的同谋。

5 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

6 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

7 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

8 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

9 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

10 mermaid   

n.美人鱼

参考例句：

• How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起，那个女孩会有多受欢迎！
• The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴，因为她等不及了。

11 modicum   

n.少量，一小份

参考例句：

• If he had a modicum of sense,he wouldn't do such a foolish thing.要是他稍有一点理智，他决不会做出如此愚蠢的事来。
• There's not even a modicum of truth in her statement.她说的话没有一点是真的。

12 diluted   

无力的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

13 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

14 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

15 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

16 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。